101 - Attacks & Actions
| 101 Articles (Edit) |
|---|
| Models
Gameplay Attacks & Actions
Battlegroup Other |
| LPG Articles (Intermediate) |
| LOTS Articles (Advanced) |
- This article is part of Warmachine University's Crash Course (101) series, which is "Basic Training" aimed at new players who are still learning the core rules.
- The 101 series is intended to help you understand the rulebook, but you shouldn't be reading this instead of the rulebook.
This article is mostly about how many dice you roll for attacks. See also 101 - Movement & Combat.
Dice system
In 40k you roll all your attacks together. You say "this unit is attacking that unit", count up the number of weapons and rate of fire, and roll about 40 dice. When you do inflict wounds, they're somewhat arbitarily assigned to the target unit, and it might be dudes on the opposite side from the shooters that actually get taken off the table.
In Warmachine/Hordes you roll one attack at a time. You say "this model is attacking that model with this weapon". This has 3 effects:
- Warmachine/Hordes uses multiple dice per attack.
- It is normally two six-sided dice (2d6) but there are plenty of ways to add extra dice (and even some ways to remove dice from your opponent's rolls).
- In a 2d6 system the odds aren't all the same. You're much more likely to roll a 7 than you are a 2 or a 12, for instance.
- Not only that, but the rate of change of the odds isn't constant - but we'll cover that more in Advanced Training.
- Where each individual model positions itself on the board becomes more tactically important.
- Standing in the wrong place might be expose you to attack, or standing a cheap model in the right place might keep your other models alive.
Extra Dice
The three most common ways to add extra dice to a roll are:
- A model that charges gets an extra damage dice on its first melee attack.
- A Weapon Master gets an extra damage dice every time it attacks with that weapon.
- The "Boosting Mechanic"
If you've played any games already, you'll be familiar with the boosting mechanic. It's the way a model can spend a resource to add one more die to a dice roll. Normally it's warcasters, warjacks, warlocks, warbeasts and the normal resource is focus points or fury points. However some other models collect & spend other resources, for instance Tharn Ravagers collect heart tokens, Void Archons collect soul tokens, Dawnguard Tridents collect power tokens, etc.
Three things to note:
- Warcasters/warlocks etc also have the option to spend focus/fury to buy attacks, but buying attacks is less common with other models using other resources.
Check the model's card to see if it is a "boost" mechanic or a "buy/boost" mechanic. - There is a key difference between adding one die by boosting a dice roll, and gaining an additional die to a dice roll.
A dice roll can be boosted only once, but there is no limit on additional dice - you just need a special rule that lets you add it. - When you charge, your first damage roll is automatically boosted - you cannot boost it a second time.
Example: A charging Weapon Master gets one boosted die (from the charge) and one additional die (from the Weapon Master rule) letting them roll 4d6 damage - very threatening!
Attack & Damage Rolls
Attack Roll: (2d6 + bonus dice + attacker's accuracy) must get equal or higher than (Target's DEF)
- Melee accuracy: MAT
- Gun accuracy: RAT
- Spell accuracy: FOCUS (warcasters) or FURY (warlocks) or Magic Ability (other models)
Damage Roll: (2d6 + bonus dice + attack's "force") minus (Target's ARM) = Amount of damage points inflicted
- Melee weapon's "force" = POW + STR (P+S)
- Power attack's "force" = STR only
- Other attack's "force" = POW only
Attack rolls have a binary result - either a pass or a fail. If you need a 7 to hit, then it makes no difference if you rolled a 7 vs rolling a 12. In comparison, damage rolls have a scaling result - the higher you roll over the target's ARM, the more damage you do. Although, in saying that, if your target only has 1 hitpoint then damage rolls are also binary.
Another thing to note is that attack rolls need to equal the target's DEF to hit them, but damage rolls need to exceed the target's ARM to damage them.
"Dice minus [x]"
Players will normally use the phrase "Dice minus [x]" before making a damage roll (where [x] is a number). This translates to "Whatever I roll on the dice, minus [x], is how much damage I will inflict." All they're doing is comparing the POW of the attack vs the ARM of the target, and stating the difference.
For example:
- Consider a POW 10 ranged weapon shooting an ARM 15 target.
- The damage roll is 2d6 + 10 - 15
- The damage rolls is 2d6 - 5 ... dice minus 5
- Consider a P+S 17 melee weapon hitting an ARM 14 target
- The damage roll is 2d6 + 17 - 14
- The damage rolls is 2d6 + 3 ... dice plus three.
Special Action
Instead of making attacks, many models can perform an action. If a model wants to use a (★ Action) then:
- They need to complete their Normal Movement first.
- They don't get to make any attacks.
- If they have more than one type of (★ Action) to choose from, then they only get to choose one.
Unless, of course, the rules for that particular (★ Action) state otherwise.
"At Any Time" abilities
Many models can use an ability "at any time during its activation". However the core rules imposes some limits on what "any time" really means, see the Rules Clarifications below.
- Restrictions on "Any Time" abilities (Edit) [Show/Hide]
- "Any Time" abilities can be used at any time during a model/unit's activation, except:
- Before any compulsory forfeiture of movement/action. See step 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A.
- After the model with the "Any Time" ability has had their activation end "prematurely". By this I mean you resolved something which includes the phrase "its activation ends". Examples include:
- Running, failing a charge, or failing a slam.
- Abilities that include "then its activation ends" (such as Reposition and Teleport).
- In between declaring your charge target and making your charge movement. (Infernal Ruling)
- In between completing your charge movement and determining whether it was a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling)
- When you're in the middle of moving. (Note: Impact Attacks count as being in the middle of movement).
- When you're in the middle of an attack. Which also includes effects that occur "after the attack is resolved".
(Although the attack is "resolved" at Step 11, in terms of using an "Any Time" ability the attack is not "finished" until after Step 14. Refer to the first paragraph of Apdx A.) - Your opponent interrupted your activation to trigger one of their own abilities (such as Countercharge).
- Warcasters/warlocks/etc can normally cast a spell or use their feat "At any time". However, there is a core rule saying they cannot do so on the same activation that they run. So, they are subject to all the same restrictions listed above, plus they can't cast/feat before running.
- Units: See below.
- In general you can use "Any Time" abilities while you're knocked down or stationary (except Spells and Feats which specify you can't).
- If you have a gun with a random ROF, you can use an "Any Time" ability inbetween rolling the number of shots and actually making the first attack. (Infernal Ruling)
- Units with "Any Time" abilities
- You cannot use an "Any Time" ability before issuing/receiving orders. See step 1 and 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A.
- A model in a unit can't use an "Any Time" ability after they run (Infernal Ruling) or fail a charge. Because that makes that specific model's activation to end even though the unit's activation is still ongoing, and you can't use abilities on models that are not active.
- You can use an "Any Time" ability before running, however.
- A model in a unit can't use an "Any Time" ability after anyone in the unit has begun a Reposition move. (Infernal Ruling)